Deck for oil tanks



H. R. LELAND ANDW. SCHWEMLIIN.`

DECK FOR OIL TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 192|.

Patented Aug. 22., i922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I @o I '3j 4 I' I /I DE I /3 I 5 ff IT I, II III f8 e@ 21% I 7` s L I 6 I e 97- I 25 O I I 7 gO 4 I I I I I I I I I I f I II I w y" ma H. R. LELAND AND W. SCHWEIVILEIN.

DECK FOR OIL TANKS.

APPLICATION man 1M/9,1921,

Patend Aug; 22., 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

61H0: new

means of springs safety,

EEIIEE srarEs PATENT @FFHCEO HAEEIsoN RUSSELL EELAND AEE WILLIAM SCHWEMLEIN, 0E EAEEEESEUEG, wEs'r 4VILRAErIIhT1A, ASSIGNLORS T0 BURG, WEST VIRGINIA, A

EAEEEESEUEG EIG- & EEEI. COMPANY, @y PARKERS CORPORATION or WEST VIRGINIA.

DECK FOR OIL TANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pmtmted Muga 22, 119220 Application filed.4 May 9,1921.y Serial No. 468,058.

lapsible members secured to said rim and engaging the wall of the deck, and yielding means to retain said members in engagement with' said wall, said members being capable of`being moved inwardly toavoid obstructions in the wall of the tank.

When oil is4 stored in tanks, a certain amount of evaporation takes place anda large quantity of oil is lost because of this evaporation. The previous construction of oil tanks, wherein the decks were not. made gas tight, permits practically free circulation oli air through thevtop of thetankhover the body of confined oil which increases the loss due to evaporation. Tn providing a gas tight deck for an oil tank, it is necessary to provide While an/ open top which will permit,` free escape of vapors and constant circulation of airis undesirable due to the increased evaporation caused, from the standpoint of it is necessary yto permit the vapors to escape when the pressure exceeds a safe limit.

In the present invention, we have provided a deck adapted to float on top of a body of oil arranged in a tank, whereby the air space above a partially filled tank is eliminatedw and levaporation reduced. to v/a minimum. The provision of -a floating deck also reduces fire hazard as it eliminates'the possibility of the formation of a body of confined vapors at high pressure in the upperpart of the tank. The body portion of the rim is of slightly less diameterl than the diameter of the tank and a plurality of wall engaging members are securedthereto. The wall engaging members are normally maintained in engagement with the wall by or other yielding connections. This permits theii' to adjustthem-k selves to the uneven surface of the conven-v some means for escape of vapors.

tional oil storage tank, permitting them to move away .from the tank when passing overlapping Joints in the plates forming the itzank structure,rivet heads, or other projecions.

In the accompanying drawings, we have shown one embodiment of the invention.

In this showing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tankv with the deck in position, parts being shown in section,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view `of a portion of a tank and deck,

Figure 3' is a plan view, Figure 4 is a detail perspective view, and, Figure 5 is a view similarL to Figure 2 showing a slightly different construction.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates generally, an oil tank provided with a suitable inlet 2 and outlet 3. As shown, the tank may be formed in sections, an upper section 4 being secured to the tank, as at 5. A body of oil 6 is represented within the tank.

The floating deck comprises a base, or body portion 7 of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the tank, and an upwardly extendingrim 8 is secured to the base; As shown, the lrim is provided with a lower flange 9 for the reception of suitable fastening means 10, passing through the base and is further provided with an upper flange'11.

The wall engaging members consist of a plurality of plates 12, a portion of which are arranged in a substantially vertical plane and extend from the base of the deck to the wall of the tank 1. Each of the plates is extended at an angle, as at 13, in 'a substantially horizontal plane and rests upon the upper flange 11 of the rim. These plates are hinged, as at 14, to suitable supporting members or brackets 15, carried by the base of the deck. A coil spring 16 is arranged ybetween the rim and the plate 12, the coil so p' secured to therim of the deck, a portion of p the ganse ring being arranged between the -rm and the band, as at'22. As shown, a

- lining 23 of fabric of similar material may be arranged on the exterior of the rim and extend over the lower flange 9. `This lining then extends partially up the plates l2 to prevent passage of the oil vapors and gases through the space between the rim and the plates. The circulation may be further retarded by partially fillingQthe space between the rim and the plates 12 with gravel or other granular material as indicated at 24, forcing the gases and the vapors to flow in an irregular path in escaping from the tank.

In operation, the floating deck rises and falls in theitank with the body of oil, being maintained on top of the oil. The movable deck eliminates a gas chamber above ,the oil when the deck is only partially filled, thus cutting' down the rcirculatio-n of air over the body of oil and material reh ducing evaporation. The floating deck further eliminates the confinement 0f a body of gas and vapors within the tank, thereby decreasing possibilities of explosion. rThe vapors and gases escaping from thebody of oil, travel through the spaces between the plates l2, through the fabric lining 23, and the gravel 24 and escape from the tank. This circulation is retarded by the fabric and gravel wher-eby evaporation Jis reduced to a minimum but the gases and vapors are carried ofi' at a suflicient rate to prevent accumulation of a body of explosive gases and vapors at. a high pressure. As the tank is filled, or emptied, the plates l2 are maintained in engagement with the wall of v the tank by means of the springs .16. The

springs exert sufficient pressure to normally maintain the plates in engagement with the Walls of the tank, but permit the plates to move .inwardly when the surface of the tank is uneven, due to 'overlapping joints, rivet heads, or other obstructions.

ln the form of the invention shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the operation is essentially the same. The section 13 of the plate, however, is eliminated, as it. is not always essential that the plate rest upon the flange 1l. f

llt is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing, from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim p v1. The combination with an oil tank, of a floating deck comprising a body portion, smaller in diameter than thediameter of the tank, a rim secured to said body portion and porjecting upwardly therefrom, a plurality of overlapping members hinged to the body portion land adapted to contact with the wall of the tank, and means for retaining said members in position.

2. The combination with an oil tank, of a floating deck comprising a body portion of less diameter than the diameter of the tank, an upwardly extending rim secured members secured to the body portion and `arranged circumferentially thereof, and a coil spring secured to each of said hinged members and to the deck to normally maintain said members in engagement with the Wall of the tank.

3. rll`he combination with an oil tank,` of a floating deck comprising a body portion, the diameter of which is less than the diameter of the tank, an upwardlyextending rim secured thereto, a plurality of overlapping plates hinged to said body portion extending upwardly at an angle to contact with the wall of the tank and thence extending inwardly over said rim, and means for normally maintaining said hinged plates in contact with the wall of the tank.

4. The combination with an oil tank, of a floating dec-k comprising a body portion of less diameter than the diameter of the tank, an upwardly extending rim secured thereto, a plurality of overlapping plates hinged to the body portion of the deck and extending upwardly at an angle to contact with the wall of the. tank, said plates being provided with extensions engaging the upper end of said rim, and a coil spring secured to each of said plates to normally maintain it in contact with the wall of the tank.

lln testimony whereof we alix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

i l i `RISON RUSSELL LELAND. WILLAM SCHVVEMLElN. Witnesses:

E. A. SnRmN'r, H. L. PQSTLEWAIT. 

